Blackjack side bet using community cards

ABSTRACT

A method of implementing a side wager in a casino game such as blackjack using community cards. Community cards can be dealt to use with a player&#39;s hand in order to form a poker hand. Depending on the player&#39;s poker hand, the side wager is either won or lost.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/604,658, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to a method and computer readable storage medium for implementing a casino blackjack type game.

2. Description of the Related Art

Casino blackjack games (both table and machine) are a popular form of wagering in a casino. Casinos are always introducing new variations on their floor in order to entice players with new variations.

What is needed is a new variation of blackjack side bet which may be more exciting for players and profitable for the casino.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an aspect of the present invention to provide players a wagering game which can augment a standard game of blackjack and be new and exciting for players.

The above aspects can be obtained by a method that includes (a) receiving a main wager and a side wager from the player; (b) dealing a player's two cards and a dealer's two cards; (c) dealing community card(s); (d) forming a poker hand with the player's two cards and the community card(s); (e) determining a rank of the poker hand; (f) if the rank is a winning poker hand, then paying a payout on the side wager based on the rank, or if the rank is a losing poker hand, then taking the side wager; and (g) completing the blackjack game.

These together with other aspects and advantages which will be subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention, will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of implementing a side wager, according to an embodiment; and

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary table layout to implement a side wager, according to an embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

The present general inventive concept relates to a

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of implementing a side wager, according to an embodiment.

The method can start with operation 100, wherein a player(s) can place bets which can include a main bet and a mandatory or optional side bet.

From operation 100, the method can proceed to operation 102, wherein the dealer deals initial hands of blackjack. The initial hands typically comprise two cards for each player and two cards for the dealer. Typically, one dealer's card is dealt face up and one dealer's card is dealt face down. The player's cards can be dealt face up or face down. Alternatively, the dealer can be dealt only one card (face up) and the dealer's second card can be drawn at a later time (such as when all of the players have finished playing out their hands).

From operation 102, the method can proceed to operation 104, wherein the dealer deals community cards. Any number of community cards can be dealt, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or higher. The community cards can be dealt from the same deck as the blackjack game is being dealt or from a separate deck.

From operation 104, the method can proceed to operation 106, which resolves the side bet. The side bet can be resolved by making a poker hand using either or both of the player's two cards and the community cards. Once the poker hand is made, then a side bet wager can be paid or taken depending on the poker hand.

From operation 106, the method can proceed to operation 108, which continues the game normally.

It is noted that the operations in FIG. 1 can be performed in any sensible order. For example, the side bet can be resolved after the main bet is resolved. The community cards can be dealt at any time, for example before the players and dealers cards are dealt or after the players and dealers cards are dealt. The community cards can also be dealt after the blackjack game has been resolved (e.g. the player's have played out their hand and the dealer has played out his hand). The latter embodiment may be preferred by players who may not wish cards being dealt during the game which may “disrupt” the natural flow of cards to the game.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary table layout to implement a side wager, according to an embodiment.

A player's initial hand 502 comprises two initial cards. A dealer's initial hand 500 comprises two initial cards. A blackjack betting circle 504 can be used to place a wager for blackjack. A side bet betting circle 506 can be used to place a wager for the optional side bet. The community card(s) 508 are also on the table. The community card(s) 508 can be dealt anywhere on the table.

Table I below illustrates exemplary payouts for a 3 card stud hand. TABLE I Hand Combinations Probability Pays Return Royal flush 4 0.000181 200 0.036199 (suited AKQ) Straight flush 44 0.001991 50 0.099548 Three of a kind 52 0.002353 30 0.070588 Straight 720 0.032579 5 0.162896 Flush 1096 0.049593 3 0.148778 Pair 3744 0.169412 1 0.169412 Nothing 16440 0.743891 −1 −0.743891 Total 22100 1.000000 −0.056471 Regards, Mike

Table II below illustrates exemplary payouts for a four card stud hand. TABLE II Hand Combinations Probability Pays Return Royal flush 4 0.000015 1000 0.014775 (suited AKQJ) Four of a kind 13 0.000048 500 0.024010 Straight flush 40 0.000148 250 0.036938 Three of a kind 2496 0.009220 7 0.064538 Straight 2772 0.010239 6 0.061435 Two pair 2808 0.010372 5 0.051861 Flush 2816 0.010402 4 0.041607 Pair 82368 0.304250 1 0.304250 Nothing 177408 0.655307 −1 −0.655307 Total 270725 1.000000 −0.055894

Table III below illustrates exemplary payouts for a 5 card stud hand TABLE III Hand Combinations Probability Pays Return Royal flush 4 0.000002 20000 0.030782 Straight flush 36 0.000014 2000 0.027703 Four of a kind 624 0.000240 250 0.060024 Full house 3744 0.001441 75 0.108043 Flush 5108 0.001965 50 0.098270 Straight 10200 0.003925 25 0.098116 Three of a kind 54912 0.021128 10 0.211285 Two pair 123552 0.047539 5 0.237695 Pair 1098240 0.422569 −1 −0.422569 Nothing 1302540 0.501177 −1 −0.501177 Total 2598960 1.000000 −0.051828

Table IV below illustrates exemplary payouts for a 7 card stud hand. Hand Combinations Probability Pays Return Royal flush 4324 0.000032 1000 0.032321 Straight flush 37260 0.000279 200 0.055701 Four of a kind 224848 0.001681 40 0.067227 Full house 3473184 0.025961 6 0.155766 Flush 4047644 0.030255 5 0.151275 Straight 6180020 0.046194 4 0.184775 Three of a kind 6461620 0.048299 3 0.144896 Two pair 31433400 0.234955 −1 −0.234955 Pair 58627800 0.438225 −1 −0.438225 Nothing 23294460 0.174119 −1 −0.174119 Total 133784560 1.000000 −0.055339

It is also noted that the present embodiments herein can also be played on any type of gaming machine, whether the gaming machine is video or mechanical, finite or random environment, class III or any other class, local software or downloadable client, or any other software/hardware implementations of gaming machines currently known in the art.

It is also noted that any and/or all of the above embodiments, configurations, variations of the present invention described above can mixed and matched and used in any combination with one another. Any operation described herein can be optional and operations can be performed in any sensible order. Any claim herein can be combined with any others (unless the results are nonsensical). Further, any mathematical formula given above also includes its mathematical equivalents, and also variations thereof such as multiplying any of the individual terms of a formula by a constant(s) or other variable.

Moreover, any description of a component or embodiment herein also includes hardware, software, and configurations which already exist in the prior art and may be necessary to the operation of such component(s) or embodiment(s). Further, instructions for performing any of the methods described herein can be stored on a computer readable storage, such as a CD-ROM, DVD, semiconductor memory, etc.

The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification and, thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

1. A method of resolving a blackjack side wager in a hand of blackjack, the method comprising (in any order): receiving a main wager and a side wager from the player; dealing a player's two cards; dealing a dealer's two cards; dealing community card(s); forming a poker hand with the player's two cards and the community card(s); determining a rank of the poker hand; if the rank is a winning poker hand, then paying a payout on the side wager based on the rank, or if the rank is a losing poker hand, then taking the side wager; and completing the blackjack game.
 2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the community card(s) is one card, and the poker hand is formed of three cards.
 3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the community card(s) are two cards, and the poker hand is formed of four cards.
 4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the community card(s) are three cards, and the poker hand is formed of five cards.
 5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the community card(s) are three cards, and the poker hand is formed of the best three card poker hand out of five cards.
 6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the community card(s) are five cards, and the poker hand is formed of the best five card poker hand out of seven cards.
 7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the community card(s) are dealt before the player's two cards and the dealer's two cards.
 8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the community card(s) are dealt after the player's two cards and the dealer's two cards but before the dealer's hand is resolved.
 9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the community card(s) are dealt after the player's two cards and the dealer's two cards and after all players and the dealer's hands are resolved. 